cptjeff:FLMountainMan: SirEattonHogg: This is like the fifth time someone mentioned this. Are Americans really that insular that they don't realize that probably most countries in the world have malls atleast in their largest cities?

Seriously, what is the big deal? I assume Kenya also has paved highways and tall buildings as well, jeezus.

Are non-Americans really so feeble-minded that they for impressions of America from Fark.com posters?

As far as insular goes - drive ten hours east of Paris and you'll drive through four or five different nations. Drive ten hours east of El Paso and you'll get to Houston.

Nah, it's fairly accurate. Many, if not most, Americans really do think that just about everywhere in Africa is mud huts and loincloths. Take it from somebody who's taken comments from the general populace for a government agency before. By and large, we're pretty stupid about the rest of the world. But don't worry, so are the people in other countries- listen to World Have Your Say on BBC sometime. Everybody around the world is apparently just as dumb about the rest of it. Which is reassuring.

There's a fun project up here to try and turn that kind of perception on its head:

CNN reported Sunday that a Twitter site listing alleged attackers in the siege at a mall in Nairobi, Kenya, included the names of two Minnesotans, but the accuracy of the information was called into question.Jason Straziuso, an Associated Press correspondent in East Africa, tweeted that the names were fake and had come from a bogus Twitter account.CNN had said the list identified two of the alleged hostage-takers as Ahmed Mohamed Isse, 22, of St. Paul, and Abdifatah Osman Keenadiid, 24, of Minneapolis. The names were among nine listed on a Twitter account that later was suspended, CNN reported.

TuteTibiImperes:TuteTibiImperes: This is why I have no problem with drone strikes against US citizens involved in terrorist organizations. While they aren't official soldiers in an enemy's armed forces, for all intents and purposes, they're enemy combatants in the war on terror.

I should clarify, only those who have gone overseas. If they're involved in terrorist actions on US soil, that should still be a matter for the police/FBI/DHS/insert-government-agency-here.

Eh... Rand is cool with drone striking some guy they think might be robbing a convenience store